Method and apparatus tor making plate-glass



W. H. POWELL.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING PLATE GLASS.

APPLICATION FILED 050.12. |919.

1,381,591. Patented June 14,1921.

FIG.1

UNITED STATESg PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. POWELL, OF ELMER, NEW JERSEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 14, 1921.

Application led December 12; 1919. Serial No. 344,365.

To 'allwhoml t may concern:

Befit known that I, WiLLiAM` II. POWELL, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Elmer,lin the county ofV Salem and State of plate glass and otherarticles'formedfrom glass. e,

One object'of my` invention is to provide a method o'finakii'xgb plate glass and the like whereby the surfaces ofthe plate shall be `given a smooth finish without grinding or other 'specialpolishing;l #Another object of my invention is to provide'simple and effective-apparatus for carrying out the aboveindicated method.' f Y Generally stated, my method consists in casting, a platev orI otherV desired body 'of glass, 'allowing the glass to set with a smooth exposed surface, inverting the glass article so vproduced 'upon a suitablesupport and Vthen heating the rough upper surface of the inverted article while simultaneously applying, a Cooling medium tothe smooth .lower surface, with the result that the upper surfacev is melted sufficiently Vto imparta perfectly smooth finish without melting the body of the article sufficiently to destroy the smoothness of the bottom surface.

In the accompanying drawing which shows a simple form of-apparatus for carrying out the above method, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a ladle or mold suitable for the casting operation; Fig. 2 isa longitudinal sectional view of the ladleshown in Fig. 1;,Fig. 3 is a longitudinal central sectional view of a box-form adapted to support the glass plate in the ,reheating operation, the ladle being shown in inverted position over the box-form.l Fig. 4 is a sectional view similar to Fig-3, but showing the plate in position on the box-form ready for reheating; Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing somewhat diagrammatically a furnace with the box-'form in position for the further treatmentof the plate; and Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a ladle or mold suitable for the production of beveled plate glass without grinding.

The ladle l 'shown in the. drawing consists of a base portion 2 of the size and shape to be given the nished plate, and provided with a peripheral flange 3 and with a handle 4. While the ladle l is shown as rectangular in form, it may obviously be made circular or of any other desired shape, and the base portion 2, instead of being fiat,as shown, may be corrugated or provided with such other projections or depressions as are desired to appear in the finished plate.

The boX-form shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 comprises a hollow body-portion 5 which may conveniently be formed of cast iron and which is provided around its uppersurface 6 with a peripheral fiange 7 similarr to the fiange 3 ofthe ladle 1. The space defined by the flange 7 of the ybox-form should be of thev same size and shape as the space contained in the ladle l, in order that the glass plate lA' which is cast in the ladle may be properly received on the box-form. The upper surface 6 of the box-form vis provided with a considerable number of perforations 8 and an inlet 9 is provided in one of the sidewalls ofthe box form and is connected through a valve 10 and a rubber hose or other flexible connector l1 with a Source of compressed air or other suitable cooling fiuid;

' In employing theaboVe-described appa-A ratus, the ladle l is filled with molten glass, preferably by dipping the ladle bodily intol a tank of melted glass, although the ladle may also be filled by pouring glass from the usual melting pot. The glass is allowed to remain in the ladle until it is set sufiiciently for handling and the glassadhering to the edges of the ladle may be trimmed off. If desired, the glass in the ladle maybe smoothed by means of a suitable scraper or roller, but in that case care'must be taken that the glass is sufficiently hot to restore its smooth exposed surface. When the glass is sufficiently set, the ladle l is inverted over the box-form and the glass plate A is transferred to the perforated to of the box, the ladlebeing thenvremoved. eat is then applied to the upper surface of the plate, as it rests upon the box-form, this being conveniently accomplished by moving the box-form bodily beneath a suitable furnace heated with gas or oil. Suchv a furnace is indicated, somewhat diagrammatically, in Fig. 5, where the furnace casing l5 is shown as being provided with burners .16, an inSpcctOn Window 17 and -a sliding lower door 18 which may be pushed aside by the box-form and may be drawn forward to close the furnace when'the box-form is removed.l The particular heating means employed are not material to the present inventionf, and such means may take any convenient form. During the heatingV operation a coolingmedium, preferably compressed air, is introduced into the interior of, the box-form through the inlet 9 and 1s i thereby-,directed against the under surface of the glass plate A through the openings 8.- The heating is continued until the upper surface of the plate is' seen to flow and as sume a perfectly smooth condition, whereuponthe bok-form is removed from the furnace, or the heating is otherwise discontinued.' The plate is Vallowed to cool and is4 above, and l am vthus-*able to produce beveled glass .without the usual grinding operation.

The abo-ve described method and apparatusare capable of numerousvariations in accordance' with the size and shape of the plates orother articles tobe produced. In theproduction of llargel plates it will be desirabletovprovide the ladle 1v with trunnions or other suspension means in order to aeilitatenhandling, and suitable arrangements for moving theboX-forms andfor discharging the finished plates' may also be employed: y

`Numerous variations may also be made inthe construction of the box-form and in. the particular manner in which Vthe air, water or otherV cooling `fluid is directed againstthe underside or' the platej during the reheating operation. It is to be understood thatvmy invention comprises all of these modifications, together with such other changes and adaptations as fall within the scope ofthe appended claims.

j 1. The method of making plate glass that comprises castinga plate of glass, inverting` the castv plate, and heating thetop of said inverted plate and thereby imparting a smoothjnsurface thereto. Y

2. Tliei'method of making plate glassthat comprises casting ,a plate of glass, inverting the cast plate, heating the topjoi:l the inverted plate to impart asmooth surfacethereto,

and simultaneously applying a 'cooling me diumto thebottom of said inverted plate.

3. T h'e method of making plate glass that comprises casting .a plate of glass, inverting the cast plate upon a foraminous support,

bringing the said supportbeneath a source of heat and applying a cooling medium to the said plate from below through the openingsl in the said suplrortl` 4:. The method of making plate glass that comprises dipping molten glass in a ladle corresponding in size and shape to the nis'hed'plate, allowing the glassfft set'in the ladle, inverting the ladle to deposit the plate upon a :toraminous support similar in size and shape to said ladle, bringingthe said support beneath a source of heat'to impart a smooth upper surface toltheinverted plate, and applying a cooling-,medium to said plate from below through the open-V ings in the said support, toi preserve the smooth lower surface of said'plate.. i y

5. The method or making plate glass that comprises dipping molten glasslinla ladle corresponding. in size and shape( to the linished plate, ftrimming theV excess glass from the edges of said ladle, allowingcthe glass to set in saidY ladle,;invertingf the ladlev to deposit theplateupon afforaminous support similar in sizeand shapejto saidladle, bringing said supportjbeneath a source of heat to impart a smooth upper.V surface to` the Vinverted plate; and applying` cold'j air to said plate from below, throughlthe ope1r` ings in said support, to preserve` the smooth lower surface of said plate. l u Y Y `6. As a' new article of manufacture,` a plate or glass having a heat-polished-beveled edge. Y Y

7. As a new article of Vmanufacture, a plate of glass having: a beveled edgepro-- duced by casting and heat-polishing .Without` grinding o-r pressing. n 8. VGlass-workimg apparatus comprising` aforaminous 'support and a ladle or fmold of the same size and shapeas the said sup'- port, and adapted to be invertedover the said support to transfertliereto aV plate of glass or the like. A e

9. Glass-working apparatus comprising a hollow metal box having any upstand'ingt flange extending around one side thereof, the said side being provided with a plurality of perl'orationsyA means for introducing a cooling fluidy yinto theinterior of the said box, and a ladle or mold of the same size and shape as the space deined by said flange, the said ladle or mold being adapted tobeAV inverted over said support'to transfer therefto a plate or glass or the like. l

10. The `method of making beyeled 4plat-e glass that comprises placing molten glass in a ladle having beveled edges and correspond ing in size and shape to the finished beveled plate, allowing the'glassyto set in `isaid ladle, removingl the cast. plate from said ladle, heating the beveled 'side Vof the'said platesulii'ciently to heat-polish its surface, and simultaneously cooling the Original upper surface of said plate.

11. The method of making beveled plate of heat and simultaneously introducing a glass that comprises placing molten glass in cooling medium into the said support. 10 a ladle having beveled edges and correspond- Y In testimony whereof I, the sald WILLIAM ing in size and shape to lthe finished bev- H. POWELL, have hereunto set my hand.

5 eled plate, allowing the g ass to set in said ladle, removing the cast plate` from said f WILLIAM H' POWELL ladle and inverting it upon a hollow sup- Witness: port, placing said support beneath a source JOHN F. WILL. 

